I’m taking part in the Designer Dublin Craft Trail. Design studios and craft workshops are opening their doors to the public on Friday, June 10th, as part of an ambitious plan to put the capital’s artisans and designers into the spotlight. View map and brochure here!

The Designer Dublin ‘Craft Studio Trail’ is made up of twenty one studios and workshops, dotted along both sides of the city centre. With sculpture, fashion, jewellery, millinery, accessories and homeware craft studios all taking part, the public are invited to take a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at the designers at work, between 5pm to 8pm on June 10th.

The free event is being organised by the Dublin City Enterprise Board as part of the 2011 Year of Craft celebrations and 10,000 full colour maps of the Craft Studio Trail are now being distributed through city hotels and tourist offices. The trail map is also available to download from the Designer Dublin website at www.designerdublin.ie and organisers are encouraging the public to hop on a Dublin bike, where possible, to go from studio to studio.

“Designer Dublin aims to highlight the work of contemporary artisans in the city, bringing affordable craft and design to the people and visitors of Dublin,” said Eibhlin Curley, Assistant CEO of the Dublin City Enterprise Board and one of the main organisers behind the initiative. She added: “To encourage as many people as possible to visit studios along the trail, the designers are organising a prize draw for customers, with over €1,300 worth of craft and design pieces to be won. Many of the designers and makers are also offering discounts of between 10% to 25% to shoppers that evening, so it’s an ideal time to buy, or to commission, a piece of  Irish craft.”